Birds

As arguably the most visible, well-studied, and well-loved group of wildlife, birds are crucial components of our ecosystems not only for their own sake, but because of what they can tell us about the condition of habitats they are using. Here in northwest Ohio we have three nationally designated Important Bird Areas (IBAs): the Oak Openings Region, Lower Maumee River, and Western Lake Erie Basin. As Metroparks owns and manages significant amounts of habitat in all three of these IBAs, we have a responsibility to steward the land in such a way that furthers the conservation of birds using these areas, and research and monitoring is a critical part of the process to ensuring that responsible stewardship. See the pages below for information on bird monitoring in your Metroparks.